How Does CDM 2015 Affect You?

How does CDM 2015 affect you?

The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (CDM) are the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects.

CDM applies to all building and construction work and includes new build, demolition, refurbishment, extensions, conversions, repair and maintenance.

The regulations place responsibilities on five duty holders, the Client, Principal Designer, Principal Contractors, Designer, and Contractor.

The industry guidance has been created by members of CONIAC (Construction Industry Advisory Committee) and Published by CITB/HSE, Construction Industry Training Board 2015, Health and safety executive.

There are six guides: one for each of the five duty holders under CDM and an addtional one for workers.

The guides are based on sound industry practice and will help small businesses and organisations deliver building and construction projects in a way that prevents injury and ill-health.

The guides are based on sound industry practice and will help small businesses and organisations deliver building and construction projects in a way that prevents injury and ill-health.

Annex A CDM Duty holders and their roles summarised

Duty holder

Summary of role/main duties

Clients

Organisations or individuals for whom a construction project is carried out.

Make suitable arrangements for managing a project. This includes making sure that:

other duty holders are appointed

sufficient time and resources are allocated.

Clients must also make sure that:

relevant information is prepared and provided to other duty holders

the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties

welfare facilities are provided.

F10 Notification to HSE

Domestic clients

People who have construction work carried out on their own home, or the home of a family member, that is notdone in furtherance of a business, whether for profit or not.

Domestic clients are in scope of CDM 2015 but their duties as a client are normally transferred to:

the contractor, on a single contractor project

or

the principal contractor, on a project involving more than one contractor.

However, the domestic client can choose to have a written agreement for the principal designer to carry out the client duties

Principal designers

Designers appointed by the client in projects involving more than one contractor. They can be an organisation or an individual with sufficient knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the role.

Plan, manage, monitor and co-ordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a project.

This includes:

identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks

ensuring designers carry out their duties.

Prepare and provide relevant information to other duty holders.

Provide relevant information to the principal contractor to help them plan, manage, monitor and co-ordinate health and safety in the construction phase.

Designers

Those who, as part of a business, prepare or modify designs for a building or product, or prepare or modify designs to systems relating to construction work.

When preparing or modifying designs, eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks that may arise during:

construction

and

the maintenance and use of a building once it is built.

Provide information to other members of the project team to help them fulfil their duties.

Contractors

Those who do the actual construction work. They can be either an individual or a company.

Plan, manage and monitor construction work under their control so that it is carried out without risks to health and safety.

For projects involving more than one contractor, co-ordinate their activities with others in the project team – in particular, comply with directions given to them by the principal designer or principal contractor.

For single-contractor projects, prepare a construction phase plan.

Principal contractors

Contractors appointed by the client to co-ordinate the construction phase of a project where it involves more than one contractor.

Plan, manage, monitor and co-ordinate health and safety in the construction phase of a project. This includes:

liaising with the client and principal designer

preparing the construction phase plan

organising co-operation between contractors and co-ordinating their work.

Ensure that:

suitable site inductions are provided

reasonable steps are taken to prevent unauthorised access

workers are consulted and engaged in securing their health and safety

welfare facilities are provided.

Workers

The people who work for or under the control of contractors on a construction site.

They must:

be consulted about matters which affect their health, safety and welfare

take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions

report anything they see which is likely to endanger either their own or others’ health and safety

co-operate with their employer, fellow workers, contractors and other duty holders.

* Organisations or individuals can carry out the role of more than one duty holder, provided they have the skills, knowledge, experience and (if an organisation) the organisational capability necessary to carry out those roles in a way that secures health and safety.